XNB252 Food and Nutrition Across the Lifecycle

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit fits within the suite of units designed to give an overall coverage of basic and complex nutrition principles for all age groups and introduces nutrition related chronic disease. It explores in depth how food intake and promotion of diet-related health across the lifecycle in more depth than previously covered in first year and underpins primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease for individuals, groups and populations. The unit focuses on nutrition requirements and practical food based advice for each lifecycle stage beginning with pre-conception and continuing with each major life stage through to old age. Universal nutrition recommendations are considered and applied adaptively to select socio cultural populations and settings, such as schools; and food patterns such as vegetarianism. It introduces population health approaches which will be further explored in XNH350 Community and Public Health Nutrition.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Develop, design and communicate food based recommendations, in ways that are responsive to diverse social, cultural, cognitive, and linguistic needs of individuals, communities, and populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
2. Working inter-professionally to autonomously and collaboratively conduct a nutrition assessment on individuals and groups across the life stages.
3. Collate, interpret and apply primary data and literature to evaluate and produce evidence-informed food-based solutions to nutrition problems including for promotion and maintenance of optimal health for different age groups.
4. Identify key national and global food and nutrition issues and their social and cultural determinants across the lifecycle from conception to aged care, including chronic disease prevention
5. Collaborate with peers to respond to complex, real world challenges in health

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit engages you in learning through a theory to practice approach. You will develop your critical knowledge of nutrition as it applies across the life-cycle. You will have opportunities to apply your knowledge and skills from online learning modules, videos, readings and case studies in self-directed and peer based learning activities.  Formative and summative assessment are designed to advance your application and synthesis of evidence based nutrition information. Unit content is designed and scaffolded to enable your success in the unit with opportunities to assess your progress in the unit and the course via automated, peer and academic feedback.

This unit adopts a blended learning approach, which includes online learning modules and face to face tutorials each week. Online learning modules include presentations from practitioners from priority population groups, and those working in the field targeting particular life cycle stages and chronic diseases.  

Practical learning activities in tutorials provide an opportunity for you to apply theoretical concepts to practice at individual and population levels. All tutorials are designed to support you on assessments. You will complete activities that will equip you with the skills needed to complete your assessments. These activities include videos, instructions, exemplars, and case studies.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Tutorials offer opportunities to seek and receive verbal formative feedback on your learning progress, acquisition of key concepts and assessment progress. You will engage in scaffolded assessment-related activities to enable your success in this unit. Self-directed activities enable automated feedback on individual progress. Peer-based activities in tutorials and online offer opportunities for peer and academic formative feedback. You will receive written summative feedback on the first two assessments, marked using a criterion-based rubric. Whole-of-cohort feedback will be provided on the final exam; individual-level feedback can be provided by the unit coordinator upon request.

Assessment

Overview

In this unit, assessment tasks are included to guide your progress towards achieving the unit learning outcomes.  In assessment 1 you will work in a group to develop and deliver a nutrition education presentation.  In assessment 2, you will research, evaluate and respond to a nutrition related product in the form of a critique. Your final assessment is a written examination where you will be presented with scenarios requiring you to interpret socio-demographic and epidemiological data, and apply the nutrition care process to individual and population-level cases across the lifespan, and integrate knowledge to design appropriate food-based interventions that reflect key health, social, and cultural determinants.

Detailed assessment item guidelines and marking criteria are included on the unit Canvas site under Assessment. Before submission, you should check your work against the criteria to confirm that all tasks are covered in appropriate depth.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions

You will research, evaluate and respond in essay style to a product and its promotional messages, including health and nutrient claims. You will evaluate the product and its messages against published literature and evidence-based guidelines and assess the relevance of the product for the target population. This task involves producing an essay, compiling primary studies in a literature matrix that supports your critique, and creating a “media bite” using Generative AI, which is a short paragraph written for the general public on your verdict of the product.  You will reflect on the effectiveness of Generative AI in creating your media bite.

This is an authentic assessment because it mirrors real-world practice by requiring you to critically evaluate the health claims of nutrition products using scientific evidence and current guidelines, and to communicate their findings in a way that informs and protects consumers.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page for specific guidelines.

Assessment: Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages

As a group, you will develop and deliver an engaging, culturally safe oral/visual nutrition education presentation. You will be given a target audience, a lifecycle stage and a setting for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community group.  Professional communication skills and teamwork will be assessed. This assessment item will be undertaken in groups.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page for specific guidelines.

Assessment: Examination (written)

Under exam conditions, you will synthesise your knowledge of nutritional determinants, key dietary factors, the nutrition care process and food and nutrition recommendations across the lifecycle and for the primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease. 

The exam will consist of short and long answer questions. Short and long answer questions in exams differ mainly in depth, length, and the level of detail expected. Short answer questions typically require a few words or sentences and are designed to assess specific knowledge within one life stage for example infancy. In contrast, long answer questions require more detailed responses, often structured in paragraphs, and are used to evaluate your ability to explain, analyse, or discuss concepts in depth and across more than one life-stage or chronic disease.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited in this assessment.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Reference book(s)

Brown, J.E. (2024). Nutrition Through the Life Cycle (8th ed.) Andover: Cengage Learning.

Croxford, S, Itsiopoulos C, Forsyth A, Belski R, Thodis A, Shepherd S & Tierney A (ed) (2015) Food and Nutrition Throughout Life. Allen & Unwin

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS47 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

1. Understand and apply knowledge of the health care consumer: person-centred care promoting wellness, person and societal good, prevention of poor health outcomes and harm, treating disease.
   Relates to: ULO4, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Examination (written)
2. Recognise the presence and causes of health inequities and disparities and impacts of social determinants of health.
   Relates to: ULO2, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
3. Promote and advocate for cultural safety, respect and responsiveness, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
   Relates to: ULO4, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Examination (written)
4. Demonstrate ethical, legal and professional responsibilities, whilst considering quality, risk, best interests and safety of patients and public, formulating strategies to address any issues.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
5. Communicate and collaborate with a socially and culturally diverse range of people on interpersonal and interprofessional levels.
   Relates to: ULO1, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages
6. Demonstrate respectful, compassionate, responsive, empathic and culturally appropriate communication, with specific awareness and sensitivity to history, communication styles and community protocols of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
   Relates to: ULO1, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages
7. Collaborate and share decision-making in partnership with the interprofessional health care team to optimise patient outcomes, and with patients, clients and carers respecting roles, privacy and choices.
   Relates to: ULO1, Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages

XN43 Bachelor of Nutrition Science

1. Apply broad theoretical, technical and cultural knowledge and skills in food and nutrition, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, to respond to a diverse range of contexts and audiences.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
2. Analyse and apply evidence-based research and practice to provide informed, client-centred, and sustainable solutions to sometimes complex current and emerging food and nutrition problems.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
3. Communicate and translate technical food and nutrition information clearly, safely and inclusively using a range of oral, written and digital technologies and formats responsive to the diverse cultural, social and cognitive needs of the intended audience, communities and other professionals
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages
4. Perform as an inclusive, competent, culturally responsive and ethical professional, working autonomously and collaboratively on innovative and entrepreneurial approaches in food and nutrition.
   Relates to: Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages

XN45 Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours)

1. Apply advanced theoretical, technical and cultural knowledge and skills in food, nutrition and dietetics, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, tailored to respond to a diverse range of contexts and audiences.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
2. Critically analyse and apply evidence-based research and practice to generate informed, client-centred and sustainable solutions to complex current and emerging food, nutrition and dietetic problems.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages, Examination (written)
3. Communicate and translate complex food and nutrition information effectively, safely and inclusively using a range of oral, written and digital technologies and formats, responsive to the diverse cultural, social and cognitive needs of clients, interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders and the broader community.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions, Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages
4. Enact inclusive, clinically adept and culturally responsive client-centred practice as a reflective, accountable and ethical professional, working autonomously and collaboratively to manage and lead innovative and entrepreneurial advances in food, nutrition and dietetics.
   Relates to: Food and pharmacy: Collaborative Nutrition Education in Practice across the life-stages
5. Conduct research with some independence that challenges, advances, builds capacity and assures quality in food, nutrition and dietetic practice, disseminating findings with individuals, interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders and communities.
   Relates to: Science vs Spin: Investigating the Claims of Marketed Nutrition Solutions